One of the best home improvement investments I’ve ever made was the installation of a snowmelt system.
When we decided to pave our dirt driveway, I realized it was the perfect time to make the upgrade.
We already had a boiler heating system for the home. The boiler heats up and sends water through a concealed network of pipes. Inside the house, those pipes are installed beneath the floors and the heat spreads evenly across the surface. Because the heat originates at floor level and rises slowly and evenly, every room is always perfectly warm no matter how cold the weather. Since we see temperatures down to twenty-five below zero, an effective and energy efficient heating system is especially important. We also get a tremendous amount of snowfall. With several inches often falling in under an hour, shoveling, plowing and snow blowing are time-consuming and repetitive jobs. It’s also tiring and labor-intensive. When the snow accumulates in feet, it becomes difficult to figure out where to pile it. The snowmelt eliminates all of those concerns. Much like the indoor radiant flooring, the exterior snowman system consists of hipes hidden under the pavement of the driveway, walkways, steps and patio. It automatically reacts to temperature drop and moisture, melting away snow and ice. We no longer get wet feet walking to the car. I don’t worry about someone slipping, falling and getting injured due to icy pavement. I don’t need to spread rock salt or other snowmelt chemicals that cause damage to pavement and landscaping. The snowmelt system requires no maintenance, operates efficiently and has made winter a lot less work. I am so thankful to have it.